In a few hours Apple will release the long awaited Tablet. Many of you know that I am a shameless Apple enthusiast. It will undoubtedly create great gadget envy for me when I see others with it. But given that we're still in a recession and there are others ahead of me in the technology replacement queue at work, I will just have to wait.
But all the excitement about the release of the iTablet reminds me a little of why those of us in the technology space were drawn to the technology industry in the first place. We sometimes forget the fact that we are in the middle of an incredible era, full of everyday miracles that we either simply take for granted, or even worse, whine about when we encounter the least problem.
My colleague Bob Larrivee (follow him on Twitter at that name; check him out at the AIIM KnowledgeCenter blog) recently put me on to a . It's worth a look and worth a reminder about this point of amazing technology all around us.
This all got me to thinking about the technologies and applications that amaze me. So here are a few to get you thinking. Some seemingly mundane. But exciting to me nonetheless. And as usual, limited to 8.
What technologies and applications amaze you?
1 -- Google.
The Googlization of Everything is a phrase developed by Siva Vaidhyanathan, who is a professor at the University of Virginia, and will be the topic of a book (I am also hoping by mentioning UVA that this may increase the chances of Admission for my daughter). I like the phrase because it reflects how Google has totally transformed the way we use and think about information. Yes, I know there are other search engines out there. But I don't care. When a company name becomes an everyday verb or noun to describe what that company does, it has done something very fundamental. Google reaches into virtually every aspect of how I use, interpret, and access information. And while that does give me pause, I keep doing it. Because it works. And it is usually free. I use Google search to find what I am looking for. I use Google search on my iPhone to look up obscure facts to settle late night arguments. I use Reader. I use Gmail. I use Google Analytics. You get the idea. It's going to take a WAY better product (not something on the margins) to get me to switch. Or some horrible security breach in the cloud (which, BTW, probably has a lot more to do with the recent hub-bub over China than concern about the search results that are viewable in China).
2 -- Federal Express (and UPS and other shippers for that matter) and Amazon.
OK. this one seems weird. I may come as a shock to those who know me well (NOT!) that my Christmas shopping has two main characteristics: 1) I never go to a mall; and 2) I am always late. So I place a high premium on being able to click on my on-line orders and find out EXACTLY where they are. To the minute. And I can do this! The application of information technology (electrons) to the world of shipping physical things (atoms) amazes me. I ordered a Kindle as a gift at 4 p.m on day and it was at my door at 3 p.m. the next day. How about that?
3 -- Kindle.
I know that in a post that started out focused on the iTablet proclaiming love for my Kindle will make me a Luddite in some eyes, but that's OK. This device amazes me. I know it may not be for everyone. But as a book lover, it has done something that I didn't think possible in an era of Tweets and blog posts and instantaneous information. It has me reading even more than I used to. Mainly because all my books go everywhere with me. And it remembers what page I am on (which is good because there is no way to turn down the corner of an electronic page). And if I am standing in line somewhere, I often will pull up a book I am reading on my Kindle iPhone app. And it knows where I was in the book the last time I read it on the Kindle. How about that!
4 -- Free stuff.
This is a generic source of amazement, but one driven by technology. Now I know the world of Chris Anderson is wreaking havoc on all sorts of business models. Music. Newspapers. Magazines. Real estate. Travel. And one near and dear to my heart, associations. But the amount of really good information that is available for free is amazing to me. I was a history major many moons ago and still love history. I download a podcast from the How Stuff Works people that I listen to in the car on obscure things that happened in history. Free. I listen to another called This Week in Google. Free. I go to Wikipedia. Free. Everywhere I turn, technology has made information: a) available; b) findable; and c) free. What a world.
5 -- Netflix.
Speaking of free, I recently became a Netflix customer again after a bit of a hiatus. No Netflix isn't free. But their Instant Access service is. Instant Access is their instant digital streaming service. It's amazing. I have no idea how they do it. We watched a movie last weekend. Great picture. I would guess they overcome the DRM issues by requiring connectivity during viewing -- it it really isn't downloading the movie. But amazing to me is that there were no buffering problems whatsoever coming over my wifi, even though all sorts of other pings were hitting my wifi at the same time. I have buffering when I download a 90 second YouTube video but not on this. Amazing. The people at the cable companies must hate this. Hah!
6 -- Lines on the field.
Despite being a Washington Redskins fan, I love watching NFL football. I can't think of anything that has increased my viewing enjoyment more than the electronic painting of those yellow first down lines on the field. How do they do this? How do they make it work so that it goes "underneath" the rest of the picture? When a receiver makes a third down catch 1 yard short of the yellow line (a key play in the Redskins playbook), I yell at him for his ignorance of the yellow line. "Don't you see it? Just one yard further! What were you thinking!"
7 -- Presto.
I really like it when I find instances of super simple applications of technology that are perfect in their simplicity. They make you think, "Why didn't I think of this?" Presto simply combines an inexpensive HP ink-jet printer with a little software and a dedicated e-mail box. It is designed to provide a communications channel to people who cannot access a computer or email. The target audience is older people, often in assisted living situations. It simply sits on the phone line. It pings the phone lines 2-3 times per day. It has a dedicated and private email address so that it doesn't get spammed. I (and anyone I choose) send emails and pictures to this address. The software formats them and attractively prints them out, almost like an online newsstand for my mother-in-law. It emails me when ink or paper is low. It doesn't try to do anything else. My mother-in-law loves it. She calls it her "Magic Machine." It keeps her connected to all of the things going on in our family. I am a hero.
8 -- iPhone.
I won't belabor this. But the combination of incredible technology an a focus on transforming the user experience is a hallmark of many Apple products. I wish more information companies had a focus on creating memorable experiences. I am convinced the twin areas of usability and simplicity, whether viewed through the prism of individual users or through the prism of corporate executives trying to figure out how to maximize the ROI of their IT investments, will be a key differentiator in the years ahead.
I could go on and on. But that's just a sample. It feels good not to be cranky.
How about you? I'd like to hear from you...post a comment.
What technologies and applications amaze you?
------
A few items that might be of interest...
A link to our free information management e-books
A link to our free upcoming information management seminars
A link to free information management training
Recent Comments